tactful.
/ˈtæktfəl/ adjective
Careful to say hard things in a way that doesn't wound.
It’s all in the nuance.
Polite follows the rules; tactful reads the person. A tactful comment tells the truth and chooses the moment and the words.
diplomatictactful on a larger stage, often about negotiation
consideratethinks of others' needs; tactful is about difficult truths
discreetkeeps things private; tactful says them kindly
Hear it in context.
At work
“That was a tactful way to raise the budget overrun without naming anyone in the room.”
In a story
“The tactful waiter called my grandfather's soup 'gently warm', which is how we learned it was cold.”
Take it into your day.
Deliver one awkward truth today in a tactful sentence: the fact, the reason, and words chosen so it lands kindly.